Commander Hayk Gasparyan killed in Ukraine

ArmInfo.  Hayk Gasparyan, call sign Abrek, commander of the Arbat Separate Special Forces Battalion of the Russian Armed Forces, was killed while carrying out a combat mission in the conflict over Ukraine. This was reported by Rossiyskaya Gazeta, citing the Telegram channel of Ivan Prikhodko,  head of Horlivka (DPR).

"Today, while carrying out a combat mission, Hayk "Abrek" Hayk,  commander of the Arbat Separate Special Forces Battalion, died a  hero's death! Eternal memory!" he wrote.

Hayk Gasparyan was a legendary battalion commander who began his  career with the assault on Artemovsk. He was a recipient of the Order  of Courage and received ten awards in total, including the Medal for  Courage, which he received from the President of Russia. Gasparyan  led the "Arbat" (Armenian Battalion) for over three years, beginning  with its founding by businessman Armen Sargsyan, who was killed in a  terrorist attack in February 2025. Despite its name, the unit was not  ethnically based and initially consisted primarily of natives of  Horlivka, Sargsyan's hometown. It was part of the "Pyatnashka"  international brigade.